In We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin, ten haunting years have passed since Trumanell Branson disappeared, leaving behind nothing but a smear of blood and a town suspended in yearning.
Overall, The Forger’s Forgery is an exciting, intriguing literary fiction novel that keeps a reasonably quick pace, as long as you’re not expecting an action or thriller. The characters are vivid and memorable (even after a couple month gap at one point, the characters were still extremely present for me, even if the plot needed reminders!).
Sara Hosey does a beautiful job of painting the settings for readers and giving us a real look into the soul of a young woman who’s seen too much and known more than a girl should ever know. Being someone who’s experienced some trauma, I found it a little hard to read in places, but ultimately, it was worth the journey.
The author tossed well-crafted twists that awakened me from complacency for the characters and set them to spinning out of control, recapturing my vigilance.
Bait & Swiss, at a quick glance, comes from the Cheese Shop Mysteries cozy mystery series by Korina Moss. The stories center on the first-person narrator, Willa, the owner of a cheese shop in a small town on the West Coast. The story follows the mystery of poisoned chocolates and murder, which Willa must solve for the sake of herself and her friends (and former friends).
Written with intriguing skill, impeccable research, and delightful imagery, She Serves the Realm, the fourth book in the No Man is Her Master Series, opens upon the next scene carrying forward from the previous. As the third book held to, the first chapter in the saga of Christina Kohl, posing as her brother, Sir Frederick, immediately pulls you into the backstory without overloading you with details.
The case proved difficult for Poston due to the complete lack of cooperation from his client. People’s minds and hearts had to be changed if he was to win this trial, starting with that of his client.
The characters are powerful motivators to the spirit of individuality in a place where individuality is not the norm. I felt a close kinship to Nubbin.
Tibble’s writing style brings about this sense of uninhibited, sensual wildness that runs throughout the book. Make no mistake, this is adult poetry. Profanity punctuates key points, while the author tackles topics of sexuality. This evidence may be found as early as the first poem, Tohunga.
Sara Brunsvold is establishing herself as a skilled storyteller in her debut novel. Her book pays tribute to an underappreciated group of people who altered the cultural course of America during the difficult post-Vietnam War-era while also being a call-to-arms for Christians; reminding Christians there are opportunities to share God’s love through every moment and every meeting.